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Two Wednesdays ago, on January 20, the counter guy at Midtown Comics handed me this flyer for an event they were sponsoring. There was a lot of information in it, but what immediately caught my eye was the opportunity to take a selfie with the Batmobile. Sold! Off to the New York Historical Society Museum & Library I went, later that evening.

I got there a little after six, and as promised, got my selfie; but there was so much more. They had a troupe of cosplayers walking around providing ample photo opportunities, followed by a Parade of Superheroes at 7:00 PM.

There was a fantastic Superheroes in Gotham exhibition that included both Marvel and DC characters (which unfortunately prohibited picture taking, but below is a photo I may or may not have taken of an original art page from Amazing Fantasy #15), and a Batman exhibit honoring both Bob Kane and Bill Finger.

Then, at 7:30 PM came the slide show–Superhero New York: Real and Imaginary. I almost skipped out on it (it started at 7:30 PM and ran for an hour, which with my long commute meant I was looking at Midnight for home). I’m happy to say, I stuck it out.

It proved to be a solid presentation by Danny Fingeroth. He made me realize how little I know about the industry I claim to love so much. I knew next to nothing about where Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Will Eisner, and many of the ‘old’ greats hailed from, where they went to school, and where they grew up. He discussed the impact growing up in the gritty streets of New York had on their work; and he talked about their friendships, their falling outs, and more. He took us deep inside their work offices, into the bullpen; and he showcased historic comic book inspired landmarks.

Then, looking around at the large diverse audience sitting around me, I realized how much things have changed within the short time span I have lived in the comic book world. Here I was at a serious academic lecture, featuring comic books. I’m not sure that this sort of thing would have garnered the audience it did today, twenty odd years ago–not to mention the setting: The NY Historical Society Museum & Library on the Upper West Side. I was totally digging the scene. Danny Fingeroth has encouraged me to seek out more, to read more (I also purchases a signed copy of his Superman on the Couch with a Foreword by Stan Lee), and to learn more about the rich history of the comic book world—and I can start with NYC’s own comic book tour here.

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This one I knew about for over a week now. There’s been no shortage of fanfare about the new Totally Awesome Incredible Hulk sans Bruce Banner—who is replaced by Amadeus Cho, the eighth smartest man in the All-New, All-Different Marvel Universe, according to the Pym-Von Doom Raw Calc Scale.

To celebrate the series launch, Midtown Comics hosted Greg Pak for a signing. It was scheduled to begin late at 7 PM, so I was able to head downtown right after work via the subway. Midtown and Pak ran the signing like a well oiled machine (although I did get a little suspicious when commanded to wait outside in line in an alley). In groups of ten we were ushered into the store, and in a matter of minutes I was in front of Greg. He graciously signed my two copies (I had both the original cover and alternative hip-hop variant); and I was able to quickly get in a photo op). Plus I got a free Ant-Man movie poster (in exchange for some personal info to enter a contest for a free Ant-Man Blu Ray Disc).

The book itself is pretty light.Good old eye candy, plenty of cameos, and Hulk smashing action. This one is for the open-minded, true-blue Hulk fans, who won’t resent a sidelined Bruce Banner, and an annoyingly hyperactive 19 year old Hulk.

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1821 Comics, comic legend Stan Lee and his company POW! Entertainment are teaming up for Stan Lee’s Kids Universe Day, an event in Los Angeles on February 2 for kids celebrating the first properties from 1821 Comics, Stan Lee and POW!’s new family-friendly publishing imprint Stan Lee’s Kids Universe which include Digital E-Books, books and games for multiple platforms. The children participating in Stan Lee’s Kids Universe Day will get an exclusive sneak preview of the new line of family friendly properties and will engage in a variety of fun activities.

Stan Lee’s Kids Universe Daywill take place on Saturday, February 2, 2013 at Giggles N’ Hugs in Century City, and will include invited children and their parents.

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The Strand bookstore in NYC will host a signing/panel event spotlighting The Art of Betty and Veronica. Co-editors Victor Gorelick and Craig Yoe will be joined by Archie fan-favorite artists Dan Parent and Fernando Ruiz for a panel discussion/Q&A at the famed bookstore. A purchase of the art book is your ticket in to the event which is sure to be a lively and informative walk through Archie’s 70-plus year history.

The event will be located in the Strand’s 3rd floor Rare Book Room at 828 Broadway at 12th Street.

San Francisco, CA, January 11, 2012 – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), the largest distributor and licensor of anime and manga in North America, invites Southern California manga/anime fans and pop culture enthusiasts to a very special launch event for the new WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA (WEEKLY SJ ALPHA) on Saturday, January 28th at the West Hollywood Library in Los Angeles, CA.

The event is FREE to attend and takes place between 2:00pm-5:00pm in the library’s Community Room. The West Hollywood Library is located at 625 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069. Additional library details are available at:

Each new digital issue of WEEKLY SJ ALPHA will treat manga (comics) fans in North America to the latest chapters of some of the world’s most popular manga series only two weeks after they debut in Japan’s massively popular WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP magazine. The first issue of WEEKLY SJ ALPHA goes on sale January 30, 2012, and will be available through VIZManga.com and the VIZ Manga apps for iPhone®, iPod® touch and iPad®. Debut series will include BAKUMAN｡, BLEACH, NARUTO, NURA: RISE OF THE YOKAI CLAN, ONE PIECE, and TORIKO.

During the event, attendees will be able to preview the first issue of WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA content on several iPads that will be available, meet VIZ Media staff, and take advantage of fun photo opportunities with the world’s most popular ninja, Naruto, and BLEACH’s Kon. Gift bags will be given away (while supplies last) and attendees can enter to win other fun prizes in a special raffle contest. Japanese snacks such as Pocky provided by Ezaki Glico USA and other refreshments will also be served while supplies last.

“This launch event for WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP ALPHA will give fans an exclusive advance look at our new manga magazine while offering a fun afternoon to celebrate its debut,” says Alvin Lu, Senior Vice President & General Manager. “Our new digital anthology will set an important new benchmark by offering the latest editions of some of the world’s most successful manga titles just a couple of weeks after their Japanese debut. We invite fans to join us on Saturday January 28th in West Hollywood for this exciting launch event!”

WEEKLY SJ ALPHA will be made available through an annual membership that provides 52 weeks of access to 48 weekly issues for just $25.99. Single issues of WEEKLY SJ ALPHA can be read for four weeks for only $0.99. Each issue, once received on one device, can be read on all other enabled devices through the easy-to-use integrated VIZ Manga platform which includes the VIZ Manga Apps for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch as well as VIZManga.com.

To prepare fans for the debut of WEEKLY SJ ALPHA, VIZ Media is also offering the SHONEN JUMP DIGITAL WARP, a limited collection of digital graphic novel speed-ups that will bring North American readers up-to-date with Japanese releases, in some cases jumping ahead of the print releases in North America. The SHONEN JUMP DIGITAL WARP is ongoing on VIZ Manga with NARUTO Volume 55-57, BLEACH Volumes 49-52 and ONE PIECE Vols. 61-63 available now (print editions forthcoming).

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, VIZ Media distributes, markets and licenses the best anime and manga titles direct from Japan. Owned by three of Japan’s largest manga and animation companies, Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, Co., Ltd., VIZ Media has the most extensive library of anime and manga for English speaking audiences in North America, the United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa. With its popular monthly manga anthology SHONEN JUMP magazine and blockbuster properties like NARUTO, BLEACH and INUYASHA, VIZ Media offers cutting-edge action, romance and family friendly properties for anime, manga, science fiction and fantasy fans of all ages. VIZ Media properties are available as graphic novels, DVDs, animated television series, feature films, downloadable and streaming video and a variety of consumer products. Learn more about VIZ Media, anime and manga at www.VIZ.com.

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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – December 31, 2011 – Happy New Year to the friends and partners of the Baltimore Comic-Con! The show may not be until September 8-9, 2012, but we’ve been very busy lately lining up some absolutely amazing guests for our 13th annual event!

We are very proud to announce our initial guest list for what will surely become the largest Baltimore Comic-Con yet!

Avengers vs. X-Men #0 by Frank Cho.

Laura & Michael Allred – Madman, iZombieGreg Capullo – Batman, Spawn

Frank Cho – Avengers vs. X-Men, Liberty Meadows

Steve Conley – Bloop

Rich Faber – Roboy Red

John Gallagher – Buzzboy

Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez – Batman, Superman,Wonder Woman

Keith Giffen – Superman, OMAC, Green Arrow

Larry Hama – G.I. Joe, Wolverine, The ‘Nam

Dean Haspiel – Billy Dogma, ACT-I-VATE,Trip City

J.G. Jones – Wanted, Doc Savage

Scott Kurtz – PvPonline.com

David Mack – Kabuki

David Petersen – Mouse Guard

Frank Quitely – All Star Superman, Batman &Robin

Walter Simonson – Thor, Legion of Super-Heroes

Scott Snyder – Batman , Severed, Swamp Thing

Billy Tucci – A Child Is Born, Shi

Matt Wagner –Tower Chronicles, Mage, Grendel

Mark Waid – Daredevil, Incorruptible,Irredemable

If you are a comic book fan, you need to come to Baltimore this coming September! We cover the entire industry, bringing your favorite creators from yesterday, today, and tomorrow, publishers big and small, and retailers offering everything from gold, silver, bronze, and modern comics to videos to clothing and so much more.

In addition, we provide great programming at the show, including panels on creator spotlights, creative teams, publishers, techniques, and, of course, our extremely popular Costume Contest. Whether you are a die-hard cosplayer awaiting the chance to premiere your new creation, a casual participant, you have kids who want to dress up, or you just want to see some of the most creative costumes in the world, our costume contest is great fun for everybody!

Mark your calendars – September 8-9, 2012! And keep watching for more great news throughout the year on guests, the Harvey Awards, industry exclusives, and programming. The latest information can always be found on our website, Facebook, and Twitter. Don’t forget to share this information with your friends and followers on Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and other social media sites!

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Stars of J.J. Abrams series Fringe set to make an appearance at the Calgary Expo April 27-29, 2012!

(Calgary, ab) John Noble, also known as Denethor in Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, and Jasika Nicole also known as Egypt in Take the Lead, have joined the Calgary Expo’s already star-studded line-up.

Fringe, having been on the air since 2008, has become an incredibly successful television series, having been compared to such sci-fi hits as The X-Files and Altered States.

“Both John and Jasika have a lot to offer our convention”, states Event Director Kandrix Foong. “Not only are they talented actors but they are both talented artists in their own right, which is something that the Calgary Expo has always worked to support from day one.”

Priding itself on supporting the arts, the Calgary Expo strives to bring in local, national and international artists to showcase their work in Artist Alley. The Artist Alley section of the exhibition offers these talented individuals an opportunity to demonstrate their skills to both fans and fellow artists. The Calgary Expo will also be featuring panels and workshops that will include topics such as breaking into the arts industries, portfolio critiques and so much more.

The Calgary Expo is a non-profit organization that showcases the incredible talent of comic creators, artists, actors, voice actors, musicians, writers and pop culture icons from all over the world. Founded in 2006, the convention has grown rapidly having hosted guests from every genre including William Shatner, Star Wars’ Billy Dee Williams, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, and Emmy award winning artist Bruce Timm. The 2011 convention saw 30,000 attendees and is the 2nd largest convention of its kind in all of Canada.

“Welcome to Toonie Terrace, home of the fun-loving Toonies and their jealous, bitter rivals, the Meanies. For all their shenanigans, no Meanie has ever murdered a Toonie… until now. After thousands of painful failed attempts, Rascal Raccoon has finally killed his arch-nemesis, the charming and adorable Jumpin’ Jackalope. Rascal is overjoyed, but there’s one problem: what does he do now? With nothing left to obsess over, Rascal’s life falls apart. Fortunately, he soon finds a new target for his anger: the animator who created him!”

Brendan Hay, former headline producer of Jon Stewart’s Daily Show and contributing writer on Stewart’s book, AMERICA, has written for Robot Chicken (Emmy Nominated!), The Mighty B! and The Simpsons. He’s now head writer on the upcoming animated Star Wars comedy show, but his heart belongs to comics.

Legendary producer Gale Anne Hurd (TERMINATOR, ALIENS, WALKING DEAD) teams with 12-Gauge Comics to present the tale of Zachary, a faithless man forced to confront the reality that he’s the savior of the world. Chased by demons that have infiltrated earth disguised as humans, while grudgingly protected by demon-hunter Jordan, the journey for knowledge, survival and more begins here! Written by Peter Calloway (GOTHAM CITY SIRENS, BATMAN: JOKER’S ASYLUM) with a cover by industry legend Brian Stelfreeze (BATMAN: SHADOW OF THE BAT), this special intro to ANTI #1 will not disappoint!

As an added bonus, the time is now for the highly anticipated return of THE RIDE in this special co-feature story! Writer Nathan Edmondson (GRIFTER, WHO IS JAKE ELLIS?) and artist Paul Azaceta (THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN, DAREDEVIL) put the pedal to the metal when the acclaimed crime-anthology roars back into comic stores– leading directly into an all-new THE RIDE series!Writer (ANTI): Peter CallowayArtist (ANTI): Daniel HillyardCover Artist: Brian StelfreezeCo-Feature Writer (THE RIDE): Nathan EdmondsonCo-Feature Artist (THE RIDE): Paul Azaceta

Holy breaking news, BatFans! The original Batman is coming to the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo April 27-29, 2012!

(Calgary, AB) Keep your eyes to the sky this spring and you might catch a glimpse of the original Caped Crusader soaring his way to Calgary’s BMO centre.

Over half a decade of work in the world of arts and entertainment has made Adam West a beloved house hold name for multiple generations. Some of his film and television titles – apart from Batman, include, Drop Dead Gorgeous, An American Vampire Story, The Young Philadelphians, The Last Precinct, and The Clinic.

In addition to his long roster of titles is West’s kooky and hilarious portrayal of himself as Mayor Adam West in the politically incorrect comedy Family Guy. The role brought his name to yet another generation of pop culture enthusiasts and has only served to solidify him as one of Hollywood’s top personalities

“Having an icon like Adam West at our convention demonstrates how incredibly diverse the Calgary Expo is,” states Event Director Kandrix Foong. “Parents who grew up watching Batman can bring their kids to meet this living legend, just like fans of Family Guy will be excited to meet the man behind his eccentric self-portrayal.”

Family will be a big focus for The Calgary Expo in 2012 with kids 12 and under getting in free of charge. The convention will also be celebrating The Make-A-Wish Foundation’s World Wish Day on April 29 which will feature children’s performers, a costume contest and programming developed specifically for families and children.

The Calgary Expo is a non-profit organization that showcases the incredible talent of comic creators, artists, actors, voice actors, musicians, writers and pop culture icons from all over the world. Founded in 2006, the convention has grown rapidly having hosted guests from every genre including William Shatner, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, voice actor Vic Mignogna and Bruce Timm an Emmy award winning Batman illustrator. The 2011 convention saw 30,000 attendees and is the 2nd largest convention of its kind in all of Canada.

The Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo will be held April 27 – 29, 2012 at the BMO Centre, Stampede Park, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Advance tickets are now on sale at http://calgaryexpo.eventbrite.com/

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